


Visci Amore

by AngelsFallFirst



Category: Nightwish
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-24
Updated: 2015-12-24
Packaged: 2018-05-08 21:23:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,236
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5513768
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AngelsFallFirst/pseuds/AngelsFallFirst
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The lonely girl seeked for a place to stay.<br/>What she found was more than that.</p>
<p>[December 24th special.]<br/>[TxT]</p>
            </blockquote>





	Visci Amore

**Author's Note:**

> This is a little Christmas gift for everyone here, for my friends and fans ♥  
> Merry Christmas to you all!  
> Hyvää joulua! ♥

The girl was about to freeze herself to death.  
Her lips were blue, her hands were red. She couldn't feel her toes and fingers anymore and she knew, she would die. She knew it.  
She looked up to the sky, a tear running down her left cheek, staining her cheek wet. "I'm sorry, mother", she whispered into the sky. "I couldn't stay. Father is unbearable since you're gone. Soon I'll be with you ... Just wait for it."  
The young singer was waiting at the bus stop, she was waiting for death. The tears on her cheeks had dried and her skin had lacerated. Her whole body was shivering and her eyes always snapped close. She had wanted to go somewhere, but she had no idea where she could go. She was always alone in school, she had no friends. No one was her friend besides one of her teachers ...  
The girl breathed into her hands to keep them warm, but even her breath was cold. She folded her hands and looked up to the sky again.  
"God ...", she whispered. "Don't let me suffer. Just take my life ... I don't want to live on anyway. Take my life as you have done it with my mother ... Please, give her back to me ... Please ..."  
She prayed and prayed and soon her eyes were shut and her head fell down. She could only hear the wheezing of the wind, and a woman that called her name.  
"I'll be with you soon, Mommy", Tarja promised again.

A warm hand on her cheek.  
Voices all around her.  
The warm hand was stroking her cheeks.  
She could hear a womanly voice say her name over and over.  
"Mommy ...", Tarja whispered with a light smile on her face. "Finally ..."  
"Poor her", the voice said. "Her mother died some weeks ago."  
"I didn't know", another voice said. "Why did you never tell me?"  
"Mommy", Tarja whispered again.  
"No, sweetheart", the gentle voice said. "It's me, Kirsti. Kirsti Holopainen."  
"Kirs -?", Tarja started with a weak voice and finally she managed to open her eyes. Her piano teacher was stroking her cheek.  
"Hello, sweetheart. I hope you're okay. I think I saved you from freezing yourself to death." Kirsti Holopainen smiled at the girl.  
Tarja closed her eyes again. "I wanted to die", she whispered and started sobbing. "There is no reason to live anymore. My mother is dead and my father ... He just sits around and says nothing! My brothers already went to our grandparents, but I stayed ... Until today."  
"Today?", Kirsti asked gently. "Oh sweetie, you slept for a whole day. It's already Christmas eve."  
"It is?", Tarja whispered and sat up, but Kirsti pushed her back again. "I need to go. I don't want to disturb your family celebration ..."  
"Stop talking, sweetie. You'll stay here", the blonde woman whispered. "Tuomas, bring her some herbal tea."  
"Which herbs? Milfoil?", the voice from before asked, but Tarja wasn't eager to check who the voice belonged to.  
"Doesn't matter", Kirsti answered. "Just any kind of tea."

Kirsti stayed with Tarja, the girl was coughing and sleeping a lot. Kirsti cared about her like a second mother, she fed her and made her tea, tugged her in and sang to her.  
She embraced the girl as she started crying. The girl missed her mother and felt bad about leaving her father alone, had no idea where to go and what to do.  
Kirsti whispered "Shhh" as she rocked the girl in her arms.  
Her son was watching from the door, feeling sorry for the crying girl. If he could only help her somehow ...

A knock on the door made her look up.  
"Can I come in?", the voice of the young man asked and as he looked inside, Tarja nodded.  
The boy entered and sat down at the little desk.  
"Is this your room?", Tarja asked shyly and the boy nodded. "I'm sorry", Tarja said. "I'll - uhm ... I'll move. I'll ask Kirsti to drive me somewhere ..."  
"No, no", the boy quickly said. "Stay. I offered my mum to bring you into my room. It's Christmas eve after all, I should spend my time with my family anyway."  
Tarja smiled weakly. "You're ... Tuomas. Right?"  
"Yes, Tarja", Tuomas answered with a smile. "Did you know I'm Kirsti's son?"  
Tarja shook her head. "No, sorry", she said shyly.   
"That's okay. We have no classes together. Well, hello. I'm Tuomas Holopainen", the boy now said and stood up to walk over to his bed. He held his hand to the young girl and she took it with reddened cheeks.  
"Tarja Turunen", she answered and Tuomas smiled.  
"I know", he answered quietly. "You sing in the church's choir."  
Tarja smiled at him, her heart beating. Why had she never paid attention to him in school? He obviously wasn't like the other boys from her class.  
As they let go of each others hands, their eyes were still locked and they were smiling at each other.  
They would have looked at each other for longer, if Kirsti hadn't called her son that moment.

Later Kirsti offered the young girl to stay for a few days. Even though Tarja didn't feel all to well with accepting this offer, she didn't decline. After an hour she moved from Tuomas' room to the guest room, which was warm enough now for someone to live in there.  
"But I can stay in my room, tonight", Tarja said as she stared at the floor.  
"Are you crazy?", Kirsti asked and pulled the girl in an embrace. Tarja started sobbing again. "Why would I leave you alone while we're celebrating Christmas??"  
"B - because I'm not a part of your f - family", Tarja sobbed and Kirsti patted her back.  
"Oh, sweetie", Kirsti said. "Why would we care? Everyone is a child of God, so you are a part of our family. Besides that, I would feel bad if I left you alone after you almost died ..."  
"Thank you", Tarja whispered and hugged the elder woman. "I wouldn't know what to do."  
Tuomas was watching his mother hugging the girl she had saved.  
His heart was beating and his look was only dedicated to her. What had happened?  
Tuomas didn't know, he only knew that they had touched for a longer time than necessary as they had shaken hands. And that their eyes had been locked for a felt eternity. He could still recall the sparkle in her green eyes when she had looked at him ...  
Tarja and Kirsti slowly parted and then the blonde woman told Tuomas to show Tarja to her room.  
He gladly accepted, somehow relieved to spend more time with the mysterious, beautiful girl. He asked her to follow him and she did without a complaint.  
Poor girl ... Tuomas didn't know much about her, but he knew that she was very lonely. She had no friends and only found her courage to be loud when she was singing. And now her mother was dead ...  
"Here we are", Tuomas said when they arrived at the room. "Feel like home."  
"Hm", Tarja answered and smiled sadly. "Thanks."  
Tuomas entered the room with her and closed the door. "Just ask if you need something. You can ask me, okay?"  
"Okay", Tarja whispered and avoided his look.  
"Hey ...", Tuomas said gently and now pulled the girl in an embrace, such as his mother had done with her. "No problem ... Is that okay?"  
Tarja nodded, her eyes closed. So many embraces in the last two hours ... Tarja wasn't used to get hugged like that so often, so she placed her cheek ok his chest. He was so tall for a fourteen year old ... And so adult ...  
"Are you okay?", Tuomas asked and stroke her back.  
"Mhm", Tarja mumbled and Tuomas pulled away.   
"Do you want to talk?", he asked, caring as he was.  
"About?", Tarja asked a little hesitating.  
Tuomas smiled. Had she even ever talked more than five words in a row before? "Well, about your mother, your father ...?"  
"No", Tarja said quietly. "Thanks for offering ..."  
"Okay", Tuomas replied. "But if you want to talk ... Or if you only need another embrace, I'm downstairs."  
Tarja smiled at him thankfully.  
Tuomas smiled back politely and close the door behind him.  
He was a well-educated little gentleman. He had never joined things like bullying, that was probably the reason why he hadn't known much of Tarja - he only knew she didn't have friends and had gotten bullied some time ago.  
Poor girl, he thought again. I'm sure she doesn't get a single present for Christmas -  
He gasped. It was only one, he still had some time! He grabbed his mother's wallet and wrote a note for her.  
You'll get your money back, don't panic. I'm back soon, it was urgent.

In the shop he already regretted his flight. What could he buy for her? He didn't know her, did she like necklaces? Bracelets? Earrings? Or wasn't she a fan of those things? He didn't know.  
And which music did she listen to? He knew she was a singer, but she sang like everything. He had heard her singing soul-songs, classic songs, metal songs, pop songs.  
This was a bad idea. He should've paid more attention to her at school.  
He walked past the jewellery store, walked through the music store, bought himself another Sonata Arctica CD, walked past a clothes store - and froze.  
That was it ...

"Where have you been?", Kirsti asked when her son came home.  
Tuomas looked around and as he couldn't spot Tarja anywhere, he pulled out the white cotton wool bonnet.  
"For Tarja", he said. "I thought she should have something as well ... You can count away the price from my pocket money."  
"That is so nice of you", Kirsti said, not surprised at all. That looked like him ... "Give it to me, I'll wrap it."  
Tuomas gladly accepted and while Kirsti wrapped the gift quickly, he prepared some tea in a big can.  
While he did so, his father came home from work. The man kissed his wife and patted his son's shoulder and soon asked about their patient.  
Tuomas poured some tea in a mug and told his father to come with him.  
He carried the mug upstairs, his father following him.  
"She is very shy", Tuomas whispered as they stood in front of the guest room. "She doesn't say much ... And don't ask her about her parents, her mother is dead and her father ignores her."  
Pentti nodded and Tuomas knocked at the door.  
"It's open", a weak voice answered and Tuomas carried the mug inside, his father following him. Tarja's eyes widened as she spotted the foreign man, but he smiled at her so softly, she knew she didn't have to be afraid.  
"Tarja, this is my father", Tuomas introduced them and Pentti and the girl shook hands.  
"You can also come downstairs, we don't bite", he offered, but Tarja only smiled politely.  
Pentti looked at his son, obviously searching for help with this girl, but Tuomas shook his head lightly.  
"Tarja?", he tried and the young girl looked up to him, making his blue eyes sink into the green ones.  
"Yes?", she said lightly, with a small smile that went right to his core and warmed his heart. He had managed to make her smile, oh god, she was beautiful.  
"We'll eat at seven. Mother says she wants you to eat as well."  
Tarja nodded, but didn't answer.  
Tuomas looked at her sadly and then sat down next to her. With a mumbled excuse Pentti left, leaving his son and the girl alone.  
"Tarja, you can talk to me whenever you feel like it", Tuomas offered, but Tarja still didn't respond, and Tuomas hugged her, just as he had done it before. "I'm not like the others", he mumbled and felt a stinging pain in his chest as a tear ran down the girl's cheek. "I'm not like the others ...", he repeated and Tarja nodded.  
"I know", she whispered. "The others laugh about me, they make fun of me. The others hate me, they talk about me when I can hear them. They talk about how ugly and fat I am and what lack of talent I have, they steal my books and write things into it ... Inappropriate things ... They tell teachers mean things about me and teachers hate me for that ... They say it would have been better for me to die instead of my mother - and they are right."  
Tuomas was quite for a few seconds. This was probably the longest thing she had said today. And the saddest ...  
"No!", he called. "Oh, Tarja, why would it be better if you -? No! Don't listen to them." Ugly and untalented?? I'll kill them! She is ... she is beautiful!  
"You don't have to lie to make me feel better", Tarja said with a smile. "It's nice of your mother that she saved me, but myself and everyone of my class would feel better if I just died."  
"Damn it, you're unbelievable", Tuomas groaned and pulled her up. "You'll come with me now, no protest."  
Tarja really didn't protest as he took her hand and pulled her out of the room - she was too much taken aback by his touch to protest. A shiver went over her spine and she smiled as she understood that he really cared about her. She looked at their entwined hands and her heart started beating faster. Could he care about her in a ... in a romantic way? Tarja's heartbeat went faster again. That would be wonderful ... He was nice, good looking - Tarja pulled her head out of the clouds and reminded herself that she only knew him for a day now. Less than a day.  
She let Tuomas push her down at the table and watched the boy climb upstairs again, only to come back with her tea not a minute later.  
"Drink", he ordered and put the mug down. Tarja nodded and did what he had told her, while Tuomas' parents watched them with a growing interest.  
Tuomas said something, Tarja did it.  
She seems to trust him, Kirsti thought. That's good.

Tarja spent the afternoon downstairs. She didn't say much, but she answered when someone asked her something. Later in the afternoon the family decided to play a game, and Tarja agreed on joining. After she got introduced to Tuomas' elder sister Susanna, the five played a board game.   
Even though Tarja wasn't good in board games she won, and that made her smile. Tuomas' heart beat as she smiled, thinking again how incredibly beautiful she was.  
He somehow felt that her smile was honest, sure, it still was a little sad (probably it reminded her of her home) but Tuomas internally cheered that he had managed to make her smile, though it was only through the good feeling of winning in a board game.  
A little later Kirsti started cooking the dinner, while Tuomas, Susanna and Tarja sat together in the living room. Tuomas had switched on the television, and while the siblings watched A Christmas carol, Tarja looked around the living room. She had already noticed that the family had quite a big house, and this way the living room was huge. They had a fireplace, in which the fire was dancing, next to the fireplace there was a huge Christmas tree, next to the tree there was a beautiful piano.  
Right, Tarja remembered. Mrs Holopainen is my piano teacher, how can't she have a piano at home? God, how much I envy her skills ... I wonder if Tuomas plays piano as well ...  
Tarja had to grin as her eyes wandered back and noticed that someone had placed a mistletoe right over the fireplace. Oh, how romantic ...   
"Why are you grinning?", Tuomas' soft voice asked in a gentle way and Tarja looked at him.  
"Is it illegal?", Tarja asked back and Tuomas looked at her, surprised.  
"No, it's good", he said and smiled at her. "I was just wondering why you're grinning like that ... Are you a villain that has to hide in our house undercover?"  
"Oh, I think you watch too much television", Tarja stated and pointed at the glimmering box. "We don't even have one at home."  
"You don't?", Tuomas asked surprised.  
Tarja shook her head. "No. My father threw it out after my mother died. He couldn't stand the sound, he wanted it to be completely quiet." Her eyes were full of tears and Tuomas felt deep sympathy for the dark haired girl. "I used to sing to him", Tarja said with a sad smile. "Every night he asked me to. But after mother died - he never asked me again."  
Meanwhile Susanna had put the television on mute and was now listening to Tarja with moist eyes.  
"One day, a month after his depression had started", Tarja went on, "I sat down next to him and I sang. My brothers had told me afterwards, how beautiful it had been ... But father had told me to shut up. He had said he couldn't stand the sound. And then he had looked at me and told me to go away. I look to much like mother, he had said. I can't stay here ... In the end I was the only one who stayed."  
Tarja was quietly sobbing.  
"Did he ... did he ever hurt you?", Susanna asked carefully. "Or touch you ...?"  
"No", Tarja said and shook her head. "No, he only ignored me, besides when I was practicing in my room. Then he came up and told me to shut up. And I had to handle everything. I cooked, washed his clothes, payed the bills, I did the shopping, cleaned the house ... everything next to school and choir. We soon had no money anymore ... And now he's completely alone."  
It was completely quiet after Tarja had ended, even Kirsti had paused her cooking to listen. Now she came closer and wrapped her arms around the sobbing creature.  
"Hey ...", she whispered. "It's alright. It's normal that the partner who stayed back mourns over his late partner, if he has really loved him. But his is just cruel ... Who does this to his little child? I will go to the police right after the public holidays."  
"No!", Tarja suddenly cried and pushed Kirsti away. "No! You can't go to the police! They will take him away! They will ... They will put him into a hospital, away from me! And I will come to a child's home! Oh god, please don't do this!"  
"We have to contact her brothers", Tuomas told his mother, while Susanna was trying to calm down the crying girl. "They live with her grandmother."  
"We will", Kirsti said. "But we can't let this be like that ... The police has to know what's happening."  
"Let's talk about that tomorrow, okay?", Tuomas asked and with a nod, his mother returned to the kitchen.  
Tuomas observed his sister for a while, who had troubles with keep Tarja calm.  
"Go away", he finally sighed and pulled Susanna away, taking in her place.  
And as soon as his arms were around Tarja, the girl's wet face in his chest, she got calm and - besides a few steady sobs - stopped crying.  
"Wow", Susanna whispered with wide eyes.  
Tuomas smiled gently and put his hand on Tarja's head. Go, he silently told his sister and Susanna vanished into the kitchen to help her mother.  
For a while Tuomas caressed the girls back, then she looked up, obviously calmed down.  
Tuomas looked down and their eyes met, leaving both of them speechless.  
Tarja had no idea why she had calmed down in his arms but not in Susanna's, Tuomas had no idea how a small and young girl like her could look so beautiful to him. Sure, they were the same age, but still Tuomas felt as if he had to project this girl ...  
He brought his hand to her cheek and touched it gently, wiped away the stains of tears from her face.  
"You don't deserve being ignored", he whispered and had to grin when a blush crept over the girl's cheeks. "Or being shouted at. Or being bullied ..."  
"I don't care about them", Tarja said, but her voice was shaking.  
Tuomas shook his head, he knew she did care about what they said. It internally destroyed her, made her think if they were right, then she went home, got ignored or silenced by her father, she was alone ... Oh, how did she deserve that?  
Tarja was feeling comfortable in his arms.  
She felt that he was strong, despite to his slim figure. And he smelled ... he smelled wonderful.  
Tarja closed her eyes and listened to his heartbeat.  
Can someone fall in love that fast?  
After that thought had crossed Tarja's mind, she ripped her eyes open again.  
In love??  
Her heart was beating as she studied the piercing blue eyes once more.  
Am I ... in love?  
But her heart already told her the answer, as it started fluttering when he smiled down to her.  
Tarja smiled back.  
I am in love ... After not even a day of knowing him. But I trust him. I can feel that he's not like the others. I am in love ... For the first time of my life.  
"Are you alright?", Tuomas whispered and suddenly his hand was back in her cheek again.  
"I'm alright", Tarja whispered back. I am in love ...

They spent the rest of the afternoon cuddling and watching A Christmas carol in a cuddling position, until Kirsti told them that the dinner was ready.  
Tarja ate, not much, but enough. She complimented the food and Kirsti winked at her gently.  
"Do you want to say a prayer?", she asked gently before they had started eating, but Tarja had slowly shaken her head.  
"I'm Lutheran", she commented.  
"Where's the problem?", Pentti, who was holding a rosary, answered and now gave the rosary to Tarja. "Just pray as you're used to, we won't disturb."  
After Tarja had spoken a Lutheran Christmas prayer and they had finished eating, they all sat around the Christmas tree. It was quiet and everyone was deep in thoughts, this night though, every thought was with Tarja.  
Tarja was the only one who thought something else, she wondered about how the tradition would go on.  
And she smiled as Pentti and Kirsti opened them that they would go on a walk.  
"Susanna and I always stay at home and play Santa Claus", Tuomas explained to Tarja and suddenly Susanna chimed in.  
"This time I'll go with mum and dad, you two can play Mr and Mrs Claus."  
Tuomas lifted an eyebrow, but didn't say anything.  
And soon the parents and the elder girl left the house, and Tuomas started walking into the basement. Tarja followed him.  
"There we have a little party room, that my eldest brother Petri used when he still lived here", Tuomas said and opened the door, letting Tarja have a look in it. "Next to it there's the fitness room. Only Susanna uses it." Tarja looked into the room and nodded. She also wasn't too fond of exercising. "Next to it there's dad's little hobby factory and here's the last room, my own proudness - my sauna. Everyone uses it, though."  
Tarja grinned as she saw it. "You have your own sauna?", she giggled.  
"Tradition is tradition", Tuomas muttered and Tarja patted his shoulder.  
"So where are the presents, master of the sauna?", she teased him.  
"In dad's factory", Tuomas said and switched on the lights. "There - be careful with the one in the red paper. It's fragile."  
Together they carried up the parcels, and arranged them under the tree carefully. Tuomas lit up the candles on the tree and put some more wood into the fireplace.  
"Who was your Santa Claus when you've been children?", Tarja suddenly asked and Tuomas smiled.  
"When Sue and I were children, my parents played Santa, just as it should be", he answered. "But when we got older we once had the idea to switch roles. And what should I say? Playing Santa is much funnier than waiting for him."  
"True", Tarja giggled and carefully placed down the fragile parcel, almost letting it fall as she saw a small package that had her name on it.  
She swallowed.  
For Tarja   
Tarja blinked, thinking of it as an illusion, but her name didn't vanish.  
"How does your family celebrate Christmas?", Tuomas suddenly asked and Tarja put the fragile parcel in front of the one that said "For Tarja".  
"In church", she muttered. "Nothing is more sacred than God, well, for my father. We sit in church and pray for hours, until we finally go home. We don't have a fantasy thing like Santa, we know we buy each other gifts and we exchange them. But we have a funny ritual for it." Tarja giggled. "We have a dice - and the one who tosses six has to give a present. Then the next one who tosses six, receives this present. Of course only if it's his, so this sometimes takes a while. Once we sat until midnight."  
"But it sounds like fun!", Tuomas said and Tarja nodded.  
"It was. I bet we'll never do that again."

Fifteen minutes later the others came back from their walk. Their cheeks and noses were red and their hands were cold. Their hair was full of snow, and they immediately threw themselves at the jar with cookies, that Tuomas had filled. They ate cookies and told each other stories and laughed - until Susanna asked when they could unwrap the presents.  
"Wait a minute", Tuomas suddenly said and ran away. He pulled out the board game they had been playing and took the dice from it.  
"Not really", Tarja laughed and Tuomas winked at her, which made her heartbeat fasten.  
He explained the rules to his family and everyone nodded.  
"Okay, I'll sit here and play judge", Tarja suggested but Tuomas shook his head and pulled her down.  
"You're part of the game", he whispered into her ear and Tarja swallowed. Maybe it had been no illusion ...  
And so they started playing.  
Everytime Tarja tossed six, she excused herself and gave the dice to Susanna, who was sitting next to her.  
Until ...  
"Sorry, sorry", she said again and gave the dice to Susanna, but Tuomas suddenly took her hand.   
"No", he said gently. "You tossed six after me, remember? And ... I have something for you."  
He got up and took the little parcel which was wrapped in blue paper.  
"Merry Christmas, Tarja", he said gently and Tarja stared up to him with an open mouth.  
"Is this for me ...?"  
"It's only something small", Tuomas mumbled, but Tarja had already jumped up and embraced him shyly.  
Tuomas smiled and closed his eyes, putting his hands on her waist.  
Tarja pulled away. "You shouldn't have", she said and Tuomas winked at her.  
They sat down again and now everyone's eyes were at Tarja, who was unwrapping the parcel.  
She laughed as she suddenly held the white bonnet in her hands.  
"How did you know I don't have one?", she asked softly.  
"Well, because my mother found you without one", Tuomas answered and in a swift move he took the bonnet from her and out it on her head. "There", he said. "You look gorgeous."  
And he meant it.  
White was really her colour and she looked so cute with the bonnet on her head ...  
"Thank you", Tarja mumbled and suddenly her lips were on his cheek, faster than she had wanted to.  
They lingered there for two seconds, then she quickly pulled away, remembering that they weren't alone.  
But no one said something, only Tuomas smiled at her proudly, her lips still burning on his skin.

They almost sat until half past ten, then finally everyone had received and given all his presents. They wished Tarja a good night and then everyone went to his room.  
Tarja smiled and closed her eyes. Maybe everything would be better. She had thought the sadness had taken all the place in her heart, but now it was dragged away by love. Love for someone she wasn't related to.  
But still the fear was there. Fear that her father had to go to a hospital that he'd never return, that she and he brothers had to move to their grandmother completely.  
Tarja was tossing and turning around in the bed, she just couldn't sleep.  
It got later and soon the digital clock showed half past one, but Tarja still wasn't asleep. Hot tears ran over her face now, as she remembered what had happened. So much had happened in the last days ...  
Quietly she sat up and decided to pour herself a glass of water. She tiptoed downstairs and after she had poured herself a glass of water, she sat down on the floor, next to the fireplace. The fire was long gone, only hot ember was still glowing.  
Tarja stared into it for quite a while, until she heard something behind her.  
"H - hello?", she whispered with a beating heart.  
"Don't get scared", a voice whispered back and Tuomas sat down next to her. "I couldn't sleep", he explained.  
"Me neither", Tarja answered. "There's just too much going on around me ..."  
"Don't think about that", Tuomas calmed her down. "All will be fine."  
Tarja sighed and now looked at Thomas straightly. "Thank you", she said. "For everything. For saving me, for being nice to me, for giving me a present ..."  
"I was raised with love and I was taught to know what charity is. I enjoy doing good things, cause I know that love is the only thing that grows when you give it away", Tuomas said calmly and Tarja smiled.  
"You're a poet ..."  
"Let's say I enjoy sounding smart", he explained and wrapped an arm around her. "Change of subject, have you ever been kissed under a mistletoe?"  
"Tuomas", Tarja mumbled, slightly embarrassed. "I don't doubt you've been raised to know which questions are appropriate and which ones aren't."  
"So this was inappropriate", Tuomas said and shook his head. "I'm terribly sorry, madame. Won't happen again."  
Tarja grinned at him. "Have you ever been kissed under a mistletoe?", she asked smugly and Tuomas laughed quietly.   
"I haven't", he answered and then admitted, "I've never been kissed before in general."  
"Me neither", Tarja whispered and for a minute no one of them said a word, until Tarja asked,  
"Why couldn't you sleep?"  
Tuomas looked at her and after a while he said, "Because I could still feel the burning trace of your lips on my cheek."  
And before Tarja could answer, Tuomas had sunken his lips on hers and the two of them were sharing a slow and sweet kiss, their first kiss under a mistletoe and their first kiss ever.  
And as Tuomas pulled away, Tarja still had her eyes closed. She was smiling and immediately leaned her head against his shoulder.  
They were staring into the ember, sometimes kissing each other again, but mostly cuddling. Their hearts were beating in union, every time their lips joined.  
"Sing for me", Tuomas suddenly begged after a few minutes of cuddling and kissing.  
Tarja chuckled and kissed his lips again before she started singing.  
"Jouluyö, juhlayö ... Päättynyt kaikk' on työ, kaks vain valveill' on puolisoa, lapsen herttaisen nukkuessa ..."

____

Merry Christmas!  
Hyvää joulua!

❄⛄✨


End file.
